Joint pain is inevitable for people with arthritis, particularly when complicated by gout. Other causes of joint pain include injury, muscle strains and bursitis. In many instances, the painful joint is also the site of inflammation. Like dark berries, cherries contain anthocyanins and flavonoids that offer potential benefits for joint pain sufferers, along with the valuable nutrients. Promising scientific research supports eating cherries for joint pain relief; however, you should discuss this remedy with your health care provider.
Cherries and Joint Inflammation
The flavonoid quercetin in cherries is perhaps the fruit's most beneficial component for alleviating joint pains, according to the Whole Health MD website. Quercetin has anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties that make it helpful for alleviating joint swelling that accompanies gout and arthritis. Decreasing the swelling and tenderness that accompany arthritis and gout is likely to result in less pressure on the joint, thus reducing the pain you experience.
Cherries and Joint Health
The antioxidants in cherries may also help your body repair damaged collagen or joint tissue. Cherries, in particular, are a source of the antioxidant glutathione, which appears to play an important role in joint health. Whole Health MD notes that researchers have observed lower glutathione levels in patients with osteoarthritis joint pain.
Cherries and Uric Acid
A buildup of excess uric acid in your body is common with gout, according to AARP. The flavonoids in fresh or frozen cherries and cherry juice can help to decrease the levels of uric acid in your body. Reducing uric acids levels is especially important for gout sufferers because gout pain is only a symptom of a disease process. Left untreated, excess uric acid can form crystals that damage vital organs such as your kidneys and heart.
Research
Scientific studies to investigate the effect of cherry juice and cherries show promising results that parallel anecdotal evidence from folk medicine remedies for joint pain. As early as 1950, one researcher, L.W. Blau, proposed cherry consumption as a dietary approach for relieving symptoms of gout. A study published in the April 2006 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition" states that a small sample of healthy men and women showed fewer inflammation markers after consuming cherry juice for 28 days.
Dosage
The optimal dosage of cherries for the average person is approximately 1 cup, or 1/2 lb., according to the AARP. This dosage may be effective for relief of pain from gout and it might prevent gout attacks. Cherries and their juice may also be helpful for reducing the painful inflammation that accompanies rheumatism, osteoarthritis arthritis, lupus and muscle exertion.
References
- Whole Health MD; Cherries; April 2010
- Whole Health MD; Quercetin; August 2005
- Whole Health MD; Glutathione; January 2010
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Consumption of Bing Sweet Cherries Lowers Circulating Concentrations of Inflammation Markers in Healthy Men and Women; Darshan S. Kelley, et al.; April 2006
- AARP; Gout Learning Center; Patience Paradox, et al.; 2005
